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Setting Up Product Feeds

A product feed enables Sellers with an existing shopping cart solution or website that has a database with a product catalogue to easily synchronize their products on to Bob Shop as Buy Now listings. For common shopping cart solutions such as osCommerce , Virtuemart (Joomla) and Zencart there are no technical requirements as Bob Shop has developed modules for these systems making it very easy to integrate. Other systems may require some technical expertise in order to integrate as a structured xml file containing a list of all the products you want to list on Bob Shop is required.

The way this works, once the product feed has been set up, the Bob Shop system will retrieve a file from your website (normally once a day) and will automatically list any new items it finds in the file and delete any items that are open on Bob Shop but no longer in the file. This process will also update your Bob Shop listings if there have been any changes e.g. in pricing information as well as continuously extend the end date of listings provided they remain in the file (with stock available). This ensures that the items in your product catalogue remain in sync with your listings on Bob Shop (at least within a 24 hour period).

If you would like to set up a product feed contact hello@bobshop.co.za to be put in contact with some one who can assist you. They will also be able to assist you in setting up your shipping and payment options.

Enhancing Product Feed Listings

Enhanced Listings are special options that allow Sellers to promote specific listings in exchange for an Enhanced Listing Fee. In order to enhance a product feed listing you will need to make a copy of an existing listing that you want to enhance. This enhanced copy will run in parallel with the original non-enhanced listing. Unlike listings created automatically through the trade feed, enhanced listings will run their normal course ending on their scheduled close time just like any other listing on Bob Shop.

In order to enhance normal trade feed listings follow these easy six steps:

1. Go to the Sell tab in the top navigation of the Bob Shop website and log in with your username and password.
2. Locate the table titled ‘listings’ and select open to display all your open listings (or alternatively use the search box below to search based on your product codes).
3. Find an item that you would like to enhance and click the ‘Copy or Relist’ link on the far right of the item, under the heading ‘Actions’. You will be taken to the listing details page. This page has all the information about the listing.
4. You will need to adjust the Listing Duration of the listing. Change the relevant start and end dates under the heading ‘Listing Duration’
5. Go to the Enhanced Listings section at the bottom of the page and tick the boxes for the kinds of enhancement(s) that you would like to use for the listing.
6. Submit the listing. Note any fees you will incur are shown to you on the confirmation page. Tick the box to state that you agree to the terms and conditions and then click the confirmation button to create the listing.

Tutorial Video